A RAFT PILOT'S LOG 



Thousands of piling were driven and many booms 

 placed, and pockets and chutes arranged, so that the big 

 crops of logs were saved. They were sorted, rafted and 

 scaled, with check works and guy line pins, all ready 

 for tow boats to hitch into, and were taken away and 

 delivered to the big mills down river as fast as the 

 seventy-five steamboats on the Upper Mississippi could 

 go up and down. 



During the busy season, between 1200 and 1500 men 

 were employed in Beef Slough, and the work was han- 

 dled with great system and energy. 



While Mr. Weyerhaeuser was seldom seen at the 

 Slough, his spirit was always evident. Mr. Irvine in 

 the earlier years lived at Wabasha, and was at the 

 office nearly every day, with George Scott directly in 

 charge. Other men were E. Douglas, at the rafting 

 works, D. J. McKenzie, head scaler, Kinney McKenzie 

 in charge of the "dropping," Duncan McGillivray as 

 assignment and delivery clerk, and Pete Short handling 

 the catch boom at the mouth. 



The steamer "Hartford," under Captain Henry Buis- 

 son, was busy dropping out half rafts to places of safety, 

 where they would lay at owner's risk until taken away 

 by some other boat. 



The steamer "Jessie Bill," under Captain Lew Ma- 

 lin, was doing all kinds of company work, while the 

 "Little Hoddie" was "bowing out" and towing batteaux 

 crews back up to the works. 



Twice a day the local steam packet "Lion" passed up 

 through the lower end of the Slough, landed at the 

 office to let ofif mail, passengers, and a little freight, and 

 then out through the "cut ofif" on her way to Wabasha, 

 Minnesota. 



There was no railroad on the Wisconsin side, and 



